He emigrated when he was a child and was raised in the US. I'm sure he's more familiar with the US legal system than whatever approximates one in Russia.
Also there's a joke about two Russians in Brooklyn being asked direction to some place by a passer by (an American). They just shugged and the passer by went on. So one Russian tells another: "See, sure he can talk English, but what good did it do for him?".
I'm serious.